A Fable Warning of Consequences of Ignoring The Law of Diminishing Returns

(Editor's note about the author: T.O. Illustratio is a free lance writer and observer of the interaction of personalities in everyday life. The author seeks to inspire readers to look within themselves to see how much good they can do in this world when a definitive purpose in life is clear.)

He was an anomaly of sorts, this appointed comptroller of the territory. His job was not in demand as it took a combination of high intelligence, particularly in areas of math and finance. The job also required a certain vision and most definitely an ability to work with those who disagreed with him. There were scores in that category. He spoke in terms most of us didn't understand. This scribe reporting to you certainly had little grasp of his constant warning of what he described as "natural laws." He harped endlessly of the fallout from the Law of Diminishing Returns.

I will give him his just due in telling you that he was a mathematical genius. He could analyze a prospective program handed to him by one of the directors of an outpost within the territory and provide a detailed explanation of why the plan would work or how it was certain to fail. His very long dissection went over most of our heads. And when he didn't fall in line with the wishes of the outpost director, he was ridiculed in the territory newspapers.

His position was considered to be impartial, and apolitical. Not everyone who held the title before him stayed true to those traits, but he was unwavering. When he saw waste of territory assets, he pointed it out, no matter where the waste originated. Invariably he would bring up this Law of Diminishing Returns.

The Law of Diminishing Returns in (Sort Of) Plain English

This servant of the public went above and beyond his duties in efforts to make his references of these natural laws more easily understood among the populace. This could become a daunting exercise as the vast territory was created by a collective diaspora from other territories.

As we were advised, there comes a point when adding one component to a fixed system, the production value of those new components when factored into the overall process, will diminish.

Those of us willing to be honest, had the same response. "Huh? What?" Certain, less forthcoming territory and outpost directors who also didn't have clue one of this explanation wouldn't admit their lack of understanding. But they would quickly dismiss the explanation as undeserving of any consideration, if said explanation threw cold water on one of their pet projects.

Some of us ordinary folks wanted to know what he meant. What were we missing? He explained to us that the Law of Diminishing Returns was always accurate. He suggested we think about our days spent in school where we poured hours of study into a subject we had ignored throughout the semester, but now had to learn because the exam was the next morning.

At some point these added hours of study would lose effectiveness because we just couldn't retain any more information in our exhausted conditions. He went on to use the example of one of his past warnings that was skewered by the outpost director of a farming section of the territory.

He had advised the outpost that by continuing to dump heavy doses of fertilizer on to vital farm land, the acreage productivity would actually tip downward. He reminded them that adding more of a certain component would diminish the return of future harvest seasons. Since the outpost director got a cut from the fertilizer supplier, he was none-to-thrilled by this warning.

The comptroller reminded everyone that the Law of Diminishing Returns was just like any other natural law. There probably wouldn't be a court case or even an officer enforcing these natural laws. He gave us an easier parable. There was a man who doubted the veracity of the Law of Gravity. He climbed to the highest oak tree on the big hill that overlooked the capital of the territory.

From this towering soapbox he proclaimed the Law of Gravity to be folk legend with no basis in fact. Then he stepped off the strong branch holding him high above the people who had gathered to hear his diatribe.

This writer wonders how long it took for the doomed doubter to realize he was wrong as he made a rapid descent toward the ground?

Other Warnings

The comptroller gave us other warnings using the Law of Diminishing Returns. He strongly advised against the deeply flawed concept of writing off the territory-sponsored debt incurred by students on their four or five or sometimes six year vacations from reality disguised as seeking higher knowledge. He reasoned that not only would it drain the coffers of much-needed revenue, but would also weaken the future of the territory as it created new waves of citizens who became dependent on the territory stipends.

He cautioned against the notion of paying citizens to stay in their homes, rather than working to better themselves. The comptroller provided historical data of the beginnings of the territory and how the original residents had to rely on themselves to carve their own way and provide for their families.

As everyone reading this essay can assume, these warnings were not received well by the directors who presented the flawed plans to the territory residents. Even when confronted with historical data of the results of similar violations of natural laws, they clung to their positions because it was better for their personal account balances.

For the territory as a whole, the balances would be different. The Law of Diminishing Returns would guarantee trouble ahead. The bill wouldn't come due until a later generation of directors was in place. They didn't create the quagmire. But they would have to fix it.

Unless they ignored it as well. Sooner or later these natural laws provide a bill. Much like the doubter who tested the Law of Gravity. I wonder how long it will take to recognize it on the way down?

Written by T.O. Illustratio

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